Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

Thanks for getting it started LM! I had fun on it until my tummy rebelled after only having chocolate for dinner!

What no bacon??GG I have some concerns about the melting of a plastic barrel. The toxins given off when plastics melt are felt to be a significant cause of breast cancer expecially when younger women are exposed. Hence the change in the plastics we use in the microwave. I found myself VERY worried about this girl in the video, pregnant and melting plastic.....

@GWN wrote:...GG I have some concerns about the melting of a plastic barrel. The toxins given off when plastics melt are felt to be a significant cause of breast cancer especially when younger women are exposed. Hence the change in the plastics we use in the microwave. I found myself VERY worried about this girl in the video, pregnant and melting plastic...

I'm sorry to have missed the chat. I was attempting to do some work on my garden beds, but littlest one wasn't cooperating and I was one cranky mama by the end of the day. Anyway, GWN, I looked through the archives but they aren't all there so I can't figure out what you're talking about here. Just wondering if it's gardening related so I know if there's something I should be looking out for (rain barrels or something)?

We were chatting about a plastic barrel being made into a planter, that houses about 90 plants, with worm castings down the middle. Incredible concept, I just watched the video after the chat and became worried about the use of melting plastic.Here is the video, incredible idea and clearly a place for Mels mix....

GWN, thank you so much for posting that video link. People are so creative! She says worm tube is optional, but I would think it's essential to keep that soil from becoming root bound and compacted over the seasons. Too big to dump out and replant with fresh medium each year.

@boffer wrote:The woman in video said she had a video about the planting process of the barrel. I couldn't find it. Has anyone else?

Also, I didn't pick up any suggestions as to the best plants that might be grown in the barrel. Any ideas besides strawberries.

She said to keep an eye out for video's on how to plant it, how to add a drip system, and how to add the worms. Those videos have not debuted. This video has only been up since April 15th, but she posted updates of her barrels on April 25th and May 24th, and in those you can see all the different things she's planted in them. I skimmed through them and saw she's got kale, dwarf peas, leaf lettuces, tomato plants, spinach, radicchio, broccoli, peppers, beans, and herbs in the side pockets. Carrots, peas, and chard in the tops.

Did anyone notice that it will take the same amount of MM to fill the barrel as it does to fill a 4x4x6" box?

It will take some scrounging or modifying to make the barrel on the cheap. Even if you find a free barrel, 6 inch schedule 40 materials don't come cheap at retail. The expansion plug alone is $12 at Grainger..

Doesn't burning plastic scare anyone else?? You are inhaling those fumes..... She does have a site that shows the strawberries.I LOVE the part about the worm castings down the middle and how you can save the liquid and pour it back on top...

Maybe "Chat @ 6 ET 5/26"? I always seem to be a day late to the party but get my hopes up.

Thanks,Kim

____________________________

I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they're feeling because that's how I read the seed catalogs in January - Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

@RoOsTeR wrote:Women using power tools and fire in the living room ...

+1 for her use of power tools. Did you notice that she used a couple of expensive Dewalt drills (I was impressed), but then used a cheapo saber saw

The torch in the living room, with no fire extinguisher in sight, is a head scratcher too.

When she makes her 'how to plant' video, it will be interesting to see if recommends planting cool crops on the north side of the barrel since it won't receive any direct sunlight. (I guess that would be the south side for those of you down under!)

Hmmm...doesn't this beg for a custom turntable for the barrel to sit on, so it can be rotated periodically?

there are other video's with other people making a garden barrel you just have to search for them on U tube.....some put legs with wheels on them so they can roll....i like that idea

the origanal idea I came across was from here.....cost is about 250.00http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1C9zP5uJrE

if you click on their browes video's they have others

I searched for do it your self video's and came across the laddy building one in her living room.....I for one would NOT make one of these barrels in the living room.....it should be done out side with ventilation.....I agree she was doing something dangerous.....the only reason I like the video is becuase she goes into depth on how to construct one.....

here are a few other video'shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxsfAqNhZYk

this guy uses a heat lamp to warm up the plastichttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8j4KaRhacI

for me its up off the ground....i can push it around the patio...its cute ....and i think it *could* hold up with the dogs and kids playing around it....I like to use some of the space on our back patio and this would allow that .....one of those could hold a lot more then one pot at a time kind of thing.....and we can push it out of the way when the kids want to ride their scooters or play basket ball....this way we dont have to pick up so many pots to move out of the way....i think thats whats appealing to me

@FamilyGardening wrote:for me its up off the ground....i can push it around the patio...its cute ....and i think it *could* hold up with the dogs and kids playing around it....I like to use some of the space on our back patio and this would allow that .....one of those could hold a lot more then one pot at a time kind of thing.....and we can push it out of the way when the kids want to ride their scooters or play basket ball....this way we dont have to pick up so many pots to move out of the way....i think thats whats appealing to me

i also love the worm part of it too!

hugsrose

Thank you, Rose. I can see that your hubby's to-do list just got longer!